


My Heart Is Open

by EriesSubjugates



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-07 22:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3186308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriesSubjugates/pseuds/EriesSubjugates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco Reus wakes up four years later, after a night out drinking on a dingy bar with his heart broken. He finds out that Erik Durm is his boyfriend. Will he learn to love Erik, or would he still be tied to his past with Mario?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Marco groans. He's aware that having too much drink is not going to help him magically get over Mario. He opens his eyes, suddenly regretting his action. The bright morning sun was torture—suddenly, he feels his head throbbing. The pain growing worse and there’s nothing he could do.

‘Marco.’

Marco looks up, to see Erik at the door.

‘I made breakfast. I have advil and whatever you like to drown that painkiller for that stupor of yours.’ Erik said cheerfully.

Marco sighed.

‘Wait? What?’ Marco asks rather loudly. Erik looks at him confused at first, but then his confused look melts into an amused grin.

‘You’ve drunk more than you can tolerate last night. I had to drive you here, you even vomited on your car. I had it cleaned don’t worry.’ Erik supplied. Marco can’t remember what they were celebrating the night before that needed so many drinks.

‘Thanks.’ He muttered.

‘Sure thing, by the way, you have to pay for my Armani clothes that you ruined last night. That’s my favourite you know?’ Erik says smiling.

‘Why did I ruin your clothes?’ Marco asked. Suddenly, he felt like he doesn’t know what world he is in. Erik was in his place, wearing his shirt, and— _shit shit shit_

Marco suddenly recalled snippets of his conversation with an old man last night.

‘Marco, what’s wrong?’ Erik asks, confused.

‘What year is it? And umm… why are you in my room?’ Marco asks suddenly.

Erik rolls his eyes, as if Marco asked him the most obvious question.

‘It’s March 2, 2019. I’m your boyfriend…that explains my presence. You really drank a lot last night didn’t you?’ Erik asks. He laughs, before leaving the confused blond alone.

Marco dropped unceremoniously on his bed. His headache was mostly gone. His mind was racing with ideas.

The man is a wizard or something similar to that.

He’s in the future.

Erik is his boyfriend.

He missed the World Cup. Again.

Marco groans.


	2. Chapter 2

Marco steps out of the shower still not used to seeing Erik in his apartment. The latter was perched on his sofa, a book balanced on his lap.

‘So tell me about the world cup.’ Marco says, as he took the place next to Erik. Erik shoots him an annoyed look at his sudden interruption, but the younger man sighs.

‘You were there, why are you asking me this?’ Erik studies him. He didn’t know that Marco knows absolutely nothing about the world cup which was surprisingly held in Russia.

‘I want to hear things on your perspective? Is it bad?’ Marco teases. Erik looks obviously surprised at his question.

‘Hmm.’ Erik mumbled absently. He secures the page of his book with a bookmark, before turning to face Marco.

‘Well?’ Marco prompts.

Erik laughs. ‘You’re so impatient aren’t you?’

Marco smirks.

‘What?’ Erik asks.

‘Nothing.’ Marco replies, he’s laughing now.

‘You’re laughing for no reason?’ he looks at Marco, his face showed that he isn’t buying Marco’s answer.

‘It’s just that..’ Marco begins.

Erik pokes his arm with his socked feet. Marco shoots him an exasperated look making Erik look more amused.

‘You look beautiful.’ Marco doesn’t figure why he’s flirting with Erik. Or why he's telling it to Erik now, he’s supposed to be asking about Mario, trying his very best to get over him, not flirting with his teammate. But the words that came off his mouth sounded natural. With Mario, he had a hard time telling Mario that he looked cool or anything, let alone beautiful.

He looks up to Erik, only to find the younger man—his boyfriend now—blushing. Erik is shaking his head.

‘Please, don’t say that.’ Erik whispers.

‘but you really are...beautiful.’ Marco protests. He moves closer to Erik. Erik on the other  hand, is frozen in his spot at the end of the sofa.

‘Don’t tell me I wasn’t telling you this before?’ He asks, too tempted to feel the warmth of Erik.

‘You…you weren’t…not every time…only during sex.’ Erik mumbles, his cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red.

‘Sex?’ Marco stops. He tells Erik that he's beautiful only during sex. What kind of asshole did he evolve into?

Erik buries his face on the throw pillow that Marco didn’t notice that Erik had with him.

‘Hey.’ Marco begins.

Erik groans at the pillow.

‘Hey. Hey…Erik.’ He says softly.

‘It’s cool. Erik, I know that I am a terrible boyfriend…I can’t believe that I only noticed it now. You’re really beautiful.’ Erik didn’t move a bit.

‘Now please, show me your beautiful face…or else, I’ll tickle you.’ Marco warns. He knows that he wasn’t being fair to Erik. Erik, aware of the fact that he is ticklish, looks up to Marco, looking betrayed which made Marco laugh.

‘You wouldn’t dare!’ Erik threatens.

‘I would…’ Marco answers, smirking again.

_I want to know more about you_ Marco suddenly thinks.

‘If you do that I’m not telling you about the World Cup in my point of view.’ Erik retorted. Erik stuck his tongue out to Marco.

‘I’d like to see you try.’ Marco says.

He pins Erik to his place, noting the hitch on Erik’s voice, as he tried his very best to move away.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! This is my first Durmeus fic. As you noticed the chapters are short, I'm still figuring out what to do with the latter chapters. I had two chapters planned ahead of this, but I felt like I should add more words on those. I want to make most and post at least another, hopefully a longer one (chapter) before the holiday ends after the Pope's visit.

It's weird having Erik sleeping next to him. It’s a good kind of weird, though, he doesn’t hug tightly like Mario. Even though, Erik is a few inches taller than him, the younger lad’s face makes him look all the more vulnerable.

Marco wanted to hug Erik, wondering if he’ll feel the same way that he did when it was Mario on his arms. But Erik isn’t Mario.

And that makes him feel bad because, he may like Erik, but he loves Mario.

Marco learned from Erik earlier that it was during the World Cup training when he admitted that he would like to make everything work for both of them. Erik looked glowing when he told Marco about the night that they spent on their room after being given the permission from Bastian. He observed Erik as he animatedly tell about that night—much to his grief nothing happened, which is totally different than when he first spent his night with Mario—Erik’s smile is beautiful. His lips quirk whenever he reminds Marco of his silliness on the field that nearly gave Jogi a heart attack when Marco feigned injury. There were occasions when Erik would shoot him suspicious looks when Erik caught him staring.

He also learned that they were constantly texting and skyping during his stay at Chelsea. Erik told him that at first, he was doubtful of where things will go for the two of them. But it was after his return to Dortmund that Erik claimed that he never knew how much he wanted to make Marco happy, even if that means that they only had to be friends. Marco learned that his ‘feelings’ for Erik developed when their teammates would constantly tease them about his gestures to the younger defender, which most of the experienced players didn’t see him doing after Mario left.

What happened in the last 4 years, Erik told him when he asked. He kept reassuring Erik that he asked those so that he could do something to make Erik happier.

Deep inside Marco feels bad. He wanted to make things work with Erik. Along the way, he has to learn to love Erik which is something that the Marco would have to learn quick before Erik notices the difference.

Marco closed his eyes and imagined Mario next to him, his cheeks pressed against his shoulder, his legs crossing Mario’s, none of that Erik did.

Even though they were boyfriends in this universe, Erik doesn’t look like the clingy kind of boyfriend which Marco was somewhat grateful for.

Marco remembered the hitch on Erik’s breath when he moved closer, like Erik wanted something to happen, but was scared to proceed with it.

What Marco unfortunately still remembers is Mario’s lips, and the hint of stubble on his round face. He remembers Mario’s needy mouth, and his hair that is just as pampered as his, Mario's smaller frame, and everything that he had learned over the times when both of them were still 'together.'

And then Marco feels tears threatening to spill. He wipes it harshly, because what’s the point of crying now?

 

He’s with Erik but his heart needs Mario.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes, I placed Marco in Chelsea because I want to... haha. Though, maybe it's his brief stint in London that will make things different?
> 
> Also, in the next chapter you'll meet the Trickster. =)))


	4. The Trickster

Marco sat at the chair of an abandoned house for a long time. He can’t remember how he ended up in an abandoned house in the middle of the woods. It looked old, judging from the weathered wood panels that held old dusty copies of books that Marco had no ideas of. To his right, was a small coffee table, on top of it were sheets of paper that has various notes on Renaissance.

‘Boring.’ Mario mutters.

‘I suggest you not say that.’ A voice muttered.

Marco tenses. He had no weapons within grasp that he could use to fend himself. He wasn’t a skilled fighter, instead, he would rather settle his fight with a game of football, not physical brawl. He could land a powerful kick though—probably just like most footballers.

‘Don’t worry lad.’ The voice reassured him. About a few minutes later, a man around in his forties appeared before him. He wore funny clothes, something that Marco knew he saw on one of the paintings in the houses.

Marco tried his very best not to smile. The man in his funny clothing took the seat in front of him, and he sat regally. Marco freezes when he realizes that the man before him looked like the Portuguese coach of Chelsea.

‘You’re Mourinho.’ Marco mutters. He shakes his head when the Mourinho-look-a-like raised his brow in challenge, the same cocky smile that is so much like Mourinho's, graced his face in the process.

‘I can assume many form, young lad.’ He says, his Portuguese accent thick on his English. He’s exactly like the Mourinho he’s seen on the telly. ‘but I opted this Mourinho’s look. Because, boy, is he interesting…’ The eccentric man who looked like Mourinho, rubs his hands as he was deep in thought.

After a few minutes of tense silence, the Mourinho-look-a-like looked at him.

‘Apologies. I forgot my manners. You can call me the Trickster.’ He says to Marco.

Marco nods dumbly.

‘The Trickster, as in like Loki?’ Marco asks.

‘Oh no!  I just like to call myself the trickster but I don’t cause mischief like Loki.’ the Trickster answers. He produces a cup of tea out in the thin air, which startles Marco. He offers his cup to Marco, who politely refused. The Trickster shrugs and settles on sipping his cup of tea.

‘Then explain how I magically time traveled four years later!’ Marco shouts. Marco shivers when the Trickster shot him a poisonous look.

‘Oh don’t worry lad. This is merely a problem  that I too am confused about. You do remember the conversation we had the night prior to this, as you have called it, time travel?’ The Trickster asks. He settles his cup of tea on the wooden floor.

‘I do—but only parts. I mean...umm...I-I was kind of drunk.’ Marco answers.

‘Judging from your stinking breath, yes, I could say that you were indeed drunk.’

‘Thanks for reminding me.’

The Trickster smiles at him amusedly, revealing his pointed teeth.

Marco gasped.

The trickster sighs.

All that Marco could that night with his conversation with the old man/The Trickster was his wish that he should’ve done something to save his relationship with Mario. But why was the Trickster screwing with time? Why was he being transported to the future? Surely, there was something that he should be doing in order for him to return to the real world.

‘Ah, unfortunately, time's up for me and you. I’ll inform you about anything I'll find out as soon as I get the chance. You have to wake up now.’ The trickster tells him.

‘How will I know what to do with Erik?’ Marco asks desperately. Erik is his boyfriend but if he has no idea or recollection at least a set of memories in this universe, then he wouldn’t know how he’ll deal with Erik.

‘You’ll have the set of memories in this universe, but you’ll have to figure things on your own while I work things out. You are originally meant to be experiencing this.’ The Trickster says wistfully.

'I can assure you, you'll know how to handle Erik.' he adds with a wink.

He vanishes a moment later.

Marco curses out loud.

If he doesn’t figure things on his own, or worse if the Trickster fails to figure things out in this universe, then he would be stuck here. He doesn’t want that. He wants to be back in the past and be reunited with Marco.

\--

Marco wakes up with a start. Erik is no longer asleep next to him. Instead, he finds himself lying on his couch, wrapped in sheets that Erik must have put on him earlier. Marco feels surprisingly giddy at this, he can’t recall Mario ever doing that to him.

Marco frowns, then shook his head.

_I'm still in love with Mario._

He remembers his time at Chelsea. He won many titles in his three seasons at the English club. He’s won the Champions League, the Premier League, and  the FA Cup on his first season. It was a treble, and everyone in London were so happy that the party that Roman Abramovich held in his yacht was a whole new level of insane.

At least the Trickster didn't lie about the set of memories that he has in this universe was restored to him.

Now that he can access the memories of the future Marco in this universe, now that he realized it, thinking about what he did to Erik made him embarrassed. It is also a welcome distraction. Instead of Mario, his mind now supplies him of images of Erik. Had the future Marco in this really liked Erik? Or did he just like Erik because Erik, as he finds out, helped him with his homesickness while he was away in London. That explained their constant texts and Skype sessions.

The Marco in this universe, at least what his memories suggests, appears to have moved on with his relationship with Mario already. They talked about their breakup on Mario’s place. Both of them cried, but Marco was dead set on letting him go. He remembered telling Mario that he was already seeing somebody else. At that time Mario didn’t know that it was Erik.

‘Shit.’ Marco mutters. He wants to save his relationship with Mario, but a part of his mind tells him that it’s better to leave the things between him and Erik, and continue their established relationship. This is the kind of situation that Marco didn’t expect that he would be subjected to.

He didn’t want to choose between Erik and Mario.

He wants Mario, but how could he start fixing the things between them, when he has his relationship in this universe with Erik in line?

If he claims that he loves Mario, then isn't that selfish of him?

It’s not like he wanted to be in a relationship with Erik anyway. He tries to reason to himself.

 

Erik doesn’t really know him well. Erik is unaware that the Marco that he is currently living together with is still pining over his ex-boyfriend.

 

‘Oh, you’re awake.’ Erik comments. Erik has his book with him. Erik must have continued reading, while he slept on the couch.

 

Marco looks at Erik, surprised by how remarkable he looked now that he has his memories. Marco can’t tell if he should be pleased with the feeling or not. Erik now looked more attractive than ever. If Erik looked attractive before he left Dortmund, then Erik looked more attractive now. Marco reminds himself that Erik is more attractive only because in this universe was meant to be attracted to Erik instead of Mario.

Marco suddenly feels like he needs to run away.

 

Except, it wouldn’t be right without Erik.

 

 _Shit shit. Why did I think of that?_ Marco thinks.

 

The 2015 Marco is another world. He is unfortunately trapped in the future, he wants to go back.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

They eat takeaway Chinese food for lunch. It didn’t take Marco that long to get engrossed to Erik’s tale of their run this season. They were now leading the table. Bayern was in close contention with a goal difference of just one. Nevertheless, it pleased Marco. He can’t wait to see Aubameyang, and Mats, who surprisingly stayed despite the transfer rumours that surrounded him four years ago. They were not relegated that season, which is a relief to Marco. They spent the following season, working their way back to the top. They didn’t have the Champions League and Europa League to worry about so Klopp spent most of that season polishing their formation. Their 2014-15 run gave Klopp the chance to figure out most of the lapses that they have committed. Mitch, like most of them were in their prime, and had assumed the number one goalkeeping spot later on.

Marco stopped when Erik tells him of Mario. It earned him another worried look from Erik.

‘What’s wrong?’

Marco decided to lie. If Mario returned to Dortmund as well, then Marco figured that he is definitely in for shitty days ahead. He had no means of contacting the Trickster about this, and by no chance was he prepared for whatever he’ll feel once he get to see Marco back in training.

‘I’m just tired.’

Erik didn’t argue further. Instead he sips from his can of diet coke.

‘I’ve been meaning to ask this since your return.’  Erik says quietly.

‘What is it?’

‘How does it feel like now you’re back in Dortmund?’

Erik didn’t meet his gaze. Mario could see that Erik is blushing in embarrassment.

‘To be honest? I don’t know.’ That catches Erik’s attention. He looks at Mario confusedly.

‘I’m happy. I got what I asked in London, but now that I am back in Dortmund? It feels like a different world. I have to keep in mind that this is not a dream.’

Erik’s shoulder slumped. But Marco proceeded,

‘You…I don’t know how, but I don’t think I deserve you. You are so kind, and young…’

‘Marco…’

‘I don’t want to hurt you.’ Marco says finally. Erik watched Marco with a guarded expression. When Erik didn’t speak, Marco took it as resignation.

He didn’t want to hurt Erik anyway. The only problem is that, he doesn’t know how to break the news to Erik that he isn’t the Marco that Erik knows.

‘If you want to break up with me…’

‘Erik.’

‘No, Marco. I want you to be honest with me. Are you still in love with Mario?’

Marco is stunned. Whether he should be telling the truth to Erik or not didn’t matter. He is walking on thin glass anyway. The Trickster wanted him to ‘handle’ Erik, if he leaves Erik alone to go to Mario’s place, then the Trickster would probably hunt him down and kill him in his sleep.

Seeing Erik look so conflicted hurts him. He assumes that it’s the Marco from this universe was begging him to keep Erik.

Erik stands to leave.

‘Erik.’

Marco feels pain shooting up on his temple. He ignores the pain, grabbing Erik’s hand before the younger man could walk away from him.

‘Stay. I-I give me a chance. I need to adjust, I’m still not used to seeing Marco on the same field as I do, after his move. Please understand.’ Marco says.

‘I’ll drive home.’ is all that Erik answered.

_He’s avoiding me._

 

‘I’ll drive you there.’

For a moment, Erik looked tempted. He furrowed his brows sceptically, chewed on the bottom of his lips for a couple of seconds, before gazing to Marco

‘It’s okay.’ Erik answers.

Marco nods. His mind protests as he watched Erik turn his back to leave.

Erik was on his door when he shouts, ‘wait!’

Marco imagines kissing Erik. Even if it’s not a genuine kiss for Erik, Marco hoped that it’s going to be enough to keep his mind from going crazy with regret.

Marco pulls Erik to him and closes the distance between them. Erik gasps in surprise.

Marco wonders if Erik, his boyfriend now, enjoys goodbye kisses just like Mario does. Whatever the answer was, Marco learns immediately. Erik melts into the kiss but he doesn’t pull Marco closer. Marco took that invitation and he runs his hand on the back of Erik’s neck. The contact of his palm against the warm skin of Erik’s neck made the younger man shiver.

Marco pushes further, relishing the sweet taste of Erik’s lips. Marco could smell the cologne that Erik wore. It was’t as strong as Mario’s but it was just enough to be imprinted on Marco’s mind that that was how Erik smells like.

Erik lets out a shaky exhale after the kiss. Erik looks at him timidly, looking completely like a lost kid unsure of what to do. Marco’s thumb found the bottom of Erik’s lips. He leaned closer, as he looks at Erik in the eye.

‘Please give me a chance.’ Marco pleads.

\--

Marco finds a note on his sofa. Surely, Erik didn’t leave that. He should have seen it earlier if Erik dropped it. Marco looked around his living room suspiciously. Nobody could’ve come in without him noticing.

He opens the folded note only to find a neat cursive handwriting.

_Young lad,_

_Give your World Cup Jersey to Erik. It’s dry cleaned and it’s on your locker. You would probably be asking me, why should you do that? Trust me on this. Don’t let anyone see that you gave it to Erik. Tell him not to tell anyone about it too. I am not playing matchmaker here, if that’s what you think. You doing that, is part of the process that I am currently working on._

_Now, after the training tomorrow, don’t talk to Mario. Can you promise me that?_

Marco crumples the note. He knew who wrote him the letter. He can follow the first instruction. Anyway, he’s not emotionally attached to his jersey. He wasn’t included in the squad in the first place. What he has right now is the collection of his memories in this universe. While he can access the memories, he doesn’t feel any attachment at all to anything the Marco in this universe has done.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything in Italics is flashback.  
> Maybe I should change the rating, no?

 

 

_Erik looked stunning in his fitted black shirt and skinny jeans. Marco hadn’t been able to take his eyes off him the entire evening. They sat together; Marco was in a deep conversation with Mats Hummels. The latter, was with his fiancé Benedikt who was giving him an amused look whenever he was caught glancing at Erik. His boyfriend was in a heated discussion with Matze about Marco’s career in Chelsea._

_‘You know, you could excuse yourselves, and claim that you have to drive baby boy home.’ Mats says. Marco looks at Mats as if his friend had told him the secret combination for the winning lottery ticket. Benedikt elbows Mats who merely laughed._

_‘Like they’ll even get the chance, look at your friends...’ Benedikt motioned to the entire room, which consisted of mostly the members of Dortmund._

_‘We’re leaving. I don’t care what they think. It’s late anyway.’ He said smugly. He downs his last shot of whisky in one go before turning to Erik. When Erik met his gaze he noticed that the boy swallowed nervously. Erik nodded at him which made him happier._

_\--_

_He looked into Erik’s green eyes, noted the blush on his tanned skin…he resisted the urge to groan when his eyes landed on the plush lips that he is now biting._

_‘you drive me crazy.’_

_He smiled at Erik, before kissing the tip of the younger man’s nose._

_‘Goodnight.’_

_Marco thought of leaving Erik to sleep on his own, but the younger boy pulled him for a deep kiss. It was sloppy and heated, but Marco enjoyed it. He heard Erik moan when his wandering hand touched Erik’s thigh. He slips his tongue on Erik’s mouth, licking and enjoying the bitter trace of the beer that they drank earlier._

_‘Clothes… off, now.’ Marco suggested, no longer armed with the sense of coherence not when he saw the look on Erik’s face that always never failed to take his breath away._

_‘Marcooo’ Erik whined._

_They both undressed each other quickly, wondering hands exploring unmarked skin especially when every inch of their skin ached to be touched._

_‘Beautiful, Erik, damn..you are so beautiful.’ Marco whispered hotly into Erik’s ear as he pressed against the younger man._

_Erik gasped in surprise when he pressed harder._

_He could barely think coherently. He could barely breathe and it was all because of his beautiful Erik, sweet and beautiful Erik._

_‘Marco…’ Erik panted._

_He kissed Erik drowning the soft mewls that Erik made when his hands found Erik’s cock. He was squeezing it, and stroking it, when he felt the precum on his boyfriend’s cock he let his fingers linger a bit, before he continued stroking languidly._

_He stops when he feels Erik’s hands on his aching cock. He looks at Erik and nearly lost it when he saw the pleasure written on the younger man’s face._

_He peppered Erik’s exposed neck with kisses. He wouldn’t mark there, he had other plans in mind.He sucked on Erik’s swollen nipple, his hand now teasingly tracing circles on Erik’s inner thigh making Erik let out a curse that he usually don’t hear from his boyfriend._

_‘Marco…yo-I’m close.’ Erik warned him. Marco stopped his sucking to smile at Erik._

_‘Go ahead.’ He whispered huskily on his boyfriend’s ears. He felt Erik shudder as his hand found its way to Erik’s cock, and he guided his boyfriend to his orgasm, stroking Erik’s cock as Erik came on his fingers._

\--

Marco groans as he comes in his hand.

‘Fuck.’

He shakes his head as he lets the water running on his body clean the mess that he’s made on himself. He had woken up from a rather vivid dream of him which he figured out was his first sex with Erik. He felt like blaming the Trickster for the set of memories that he was given, but he couldn’t bring himself to because he asked for those memories in the first place. He recalls wanking over his fantasies of Mario before but they weren’t as good as to what his memories of Erik remind him.

 

He lets out a cryof frustration, because he remembers. He remembers and it hurts. It hurts because it feels like he’s taking Erik for granted, although technically he is not, but in this universe? He is. He changes the heating of his shower and settles for a colder one.

-

He finds an album on his desk.

_They’re fake._

_They’re not yours._

Marco tells himself.

He finds it weird that he somewhat finds comfort about the fact that he can distinguish what is real and what was made up for him. He opens the album, gingerly lifting the cover, feeling that if he doesn’t the album will vanish before him.

Why did he even think of that?

Right, he is stuck in an alternate universe/future with a Trickster who’s probably an eccentric man with magical powers.

 

Still…magic. Time travel. Another shot at a better future?

 

All those things Marco never believed before. But now? Now what? He doesn’t know. He wants to believe, or he tries to, but Mario never lets him go. Even though his team mates, the ones from the past tells him not to dwell on it any longer, it always would come crashing down on him.

That night…

The night when Mario cut his ties with Dortmund.

 He didn’t do anything. He didn’t cry that night, he watched Mario and said nothing. Mario’s face crumbles and he cries. All he did was to let out a resigned laugh and left.

 

There was nothing else that he could do.

 

Maybe there was, but he chose not to.

 

And before he knew it, he was falling down to the deepest crutches of melancholia. He doesn’t admit that he is depressed. He is scared; after all he is a footballer. He has appearances to keep even though deep down it was hurting him.

So he turns his attention back at the first photographs on the page.

He sees the Marco in this universe.

And it clicks.

 

He has to see things through the eyes of Marco Reus, the Marco Reus in this universe who looked like he has come back from the brink and redeemed himself.

 

Was that redemption that he went through these past four years?

 

Will he do that once he’s out of this universe?

 

He doesn’t know.

 

For now, he settles on his sofa, and studies his face in the photographs. They look foreign, but it was him. The same blue eyes, posture, his infamous ‘smug’ smile…it’s him alright.

There were photos of him in a Chelsea shirt, him posing with Cesc Fabregas for a PUMA promotion. He skims, noticing that most pages that are mostly Chelsea related. 

And the one that struck him the most was a shot of him kissing the Champions League trophy. His first major trophy ever. He runs his finger on his face that depicted happiness. He doesn’t feel the connection that he wished he would. He was apprehensive at first if he would feel the connection between the Marco of this universe and him, it disappointed him when he didn’t feel it.

Also guilty because, he didn't win it at Dortmund where his heart really is.

On the semi-brighter side, he could access 'his' memories. While he can't make himself believe that they were really good, he could at least pretend that they felt real. He had to make himself believe that he and the Marco in this universe are one and the same. He had to learn things on his own just like what the Trickster had instructed him on his dream earlier and hope that whatever the man finds, will lead him back to the present.

To 2015 no matter how it sucks to be there at the moment. He has the entire half of the season to make up for his absence due to his injury.

He prays that when he’s out of this ‘future’ he’ll not end up screwing the timeline of his ‘present’ and wake up just in time before they start the second half of the season.

He’s going to lose his shit if he doesn’t wake up in time to help his team.

So for now, he tries to find comfort living in this universe where he is living what he supposes to be a better life, with better career and a-

God knows if Erik is a better boyfriend than Mario.

He hisses at the thought of Mario. He decides to keep Mario on the back of his mind for now. He’s going to busy himself trying his very best to make a connection with the memories that he was given access to and the photos of him in this universe.

 

Mario could wait until they meet for practice.

 

Erik, he tells himself, he has to visit Erik the first thing tomorrow.

 

And so he looks on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to post the other half later... I have to rush to school


End file.
